Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at a Civil Contract campaign event, said that being re-elected as Prime Minister is not his priority—what matters is that the Armenian people alone decide who leads the country.

“I have said and I continue to say: anyone who takes even a single sum from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia is my personal enemy,” he said at a meeting with citizens in Verin Artashat, Ararat Province amid the campaign for the June 7 elections. 

“And this principle must be respected by everyone, because taking from the state budget means taking from each and every one of you, since the state is you. You are the Republic of Armenia, the owners of the Republic of Armenia, while the Prime Minister is merely a hired employee, and you decide who will be Prime Minister. Yesterday, you decided that I should be [Prime Minister]—and I am. I am doing my utmost to ensure that our state is prosperous and flourishing. If tomorrow you decide that I should not be, I will obediently carry out your decision—whatever you decide. For me, the most important thing is not to be elected Prime Minister; the most important thing is that always and forever the people, and only the people, decide who the Prime Minister is.”

“The revolution primarily happened for this reason,” said Pashinyan, referring to the 2018 Armenian revolution.

Pashinyan also congratulated the gathered citizens on the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the people must uphold it.

“As someone who has led Armenia for eight years with your mandate, I reserve the right to say the following. First, I want to congratulate you on the establishment of peace in Armenia. I also want to say that the most important question for the 2026 elections is this: will our people uphold the peace, or will they not? It is very important that our people uphold peace, because peace will ensure our independence, our prosperity, and the continuity of our state,” he said.

As Armenia prepares to host the IAU Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP2026) Conference for the first time, organizers revealed that the country intends to put forward a globally significant and groundbreaking proposal.

The International Astronomical Union and Armenia’s V. Hambardzumyan Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory are organizing CAP2026.

IAU CAP Conferences are dedicated to bringing together astronomy communicators from around the world. The event will take place in Yerevan from May 25 to 29.

Areg Mikayelyan, Director of the Byurakan Observatory, told Armenpress that Armenia seeks to initiate the creation of a comprehensive cooperation network involving the operators of Asia’s major observatories, modeled after Europe’s OPTICON network.

The OPTICON network (Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy) is a large-scale, EU-funded consortium uniting Europe’s ground-based astronomy communities. It offers coordinated access to telescopes, supports technology development, and brings together optical and radio astronomy to advance multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy.

He also noted that the CAP2026 program is engaging and wide-ranging, covering topics such as the integration of astronomy and education, the popularization of astronomy, the organization and operation of planetariums, and other innovative projects.

Mikayelyan also stated that Armenia is actively contributing to the development of virtual astronomy. He noted that Armenia is among only 20 countries worldwide with a virtual observatory. According to him, this is another area in which Armenia could become a regional leader.

A special session will be dedicated to the development of astronomical tourism.

The conference’s main topics will include science journalism, the use of artificial intelligence in astronomy communication and outreach, social media, public astronomy education programs, and modern tools for science communication.

The upcoming conference, along with all other events planned throughout the year, is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, which is being celebrated this year. A major international scientific conference dedicated to the anniversary is scheduled to take place in September.

The Armenian Defense Ministry has notified the public that rehearsals and organizational preparations for the upcoming May 28 military parade will include artillery blank-fire drills on Thursday and Friday.

Residents are encouraged to stay calm if they happen to hear gunfire. 

Specifically, one cannon salute charge will be fired in Lusakert at around 14:00 on Thursday, and three salute charges will be fired on Friday in Yerevan — at the V. Sargsyan Military Academy, Hrazdan Stadium, and Victory Park — at 10:00, the ministry said in a statement.

The military parade will take place at 10:00 on May 28 in Republic Square, Yerevan.

Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan received the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia, Marieke Monroy-Winter, and the newly appointed Defense Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel A.G.E. (Adry) Huybrechts, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The Deputy Minister congratulated the Defense Attaché on his appointment and wished him success.

During the meeting, issues related to the process and prospects of bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the field of defense, as well as in a multilateral format with NATO and the EU, were discussed.

Armenian international Finn Geragusyan has been named Sunderland U-21 Player of the Season for 2025–2026, Sunderland AFC said on social media.

The 18-year-old Finn Geragusyan plays as a forward for the Armenian national football team.

Moscow has denied The Insider’s report regarding alleged Russian meddling in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia and espionage activities by Russian diplomats in the country.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the report as “fake,” calling The Insider “a foreign agent carrying out the orders of its overseas curators.”

The Ministry added that “the report is a provocation aimed at exerting psychological pressure on Russian diplomats and sowing fear among the Armenian public ahead of the elections.”

The statement further noted that the report contained numerous factual errors and inaccuracies when presenting biographical information about representatives of the Russian diplomatic mission.

The Russian MFA added that the images presented as screenshots by The Insider are unreliable, stressing that the outlet failed to provide any convincing evidence to verify the authenticity of the report.

The Insider’s report stated that the Kremlin hopes to prevent incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party from winning the June 7 elections. The report identified who oversees the Armenia portfolio in the Russian presidential administration, which officers from the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the GRU, and the FSB were sent to Yerevan, and how Armenian opposition candidates are linked to Russia’s intelligence agencies.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense has kicked off the largest military-sports relay in the history of the nation’s armed forces.

Covering 1,450 km across the entire country, the event—dedicated to Military Sports Day—was launched with a ceremonial start at the Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Yerevan, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. 

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan, delivered greetings to the participants on behalf of Defense Minister Suren Papikyan. The relay race will conclude on May 27.

Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan has said that the quality of flowers produced in modern greenhouse farms operating in Armenia meets high international standards and can be competitive in the European market.

Commenting on restrictions imposed by Russia on the import of Armenian flower products, the minister noted that part of Armenia’s greenhouse farms are technologically comparable to the best farms in other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries.

“Other EAEU countries would truly like to have the modern technologies that a significant portion of greenhouses in Armenia possess,” Papoyan said at a press briefing.

According to him, such high-quality products make it possible to export not only to Russia but also to European Union countries and the United States.

“We are now also discussing mechanisms, for example, for entering the EU market with roses, because in fact the quality of the roses produced in greenhouses using ultra-modern technologies is sold at the European Union auction—on the auction platform operating in the Netherlands. In other words, we are already able to provide the highest quality of Dutch roses,” the minister noted.

According to Papoyan, the government is discussing a number of support mechanisms with businesses, including compensation for transportation costs and expenses related to intellectual property rights.

He clarified that when exporting flowers to the European Union, it is also necessary to pay for the copyright of the specific variety.

Referring to the restrictions imposed by Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s state agricultural watchdog, on the import of Armenian flower products, the minister noted that the body responsible for phytosanitary control is the Food Safety Inspection Body, while the Ministry of Economy is responsible for coordinating related matters.

Papoyan also expressed his confidence that the relations between Armenia and Russia continue to remain partnership-based.

“Our relations with the Russian Federation are actually very good. The tensions reported in the media are far from the reality,” the minister said.

Earlier, Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor announced that from May 22, temporary restrictions would be imposed on the import of flower products from Armenia. According to the service, the restrictions will remain in effect until inspections of Armenian greenhouses are completed and the results analyzed.

The Russian side stated that the decision was made to ensure plant sanitary safety. According to the report, in 2025, 135 cases of quarantine pests were detected in 96.2 million flower products imported from Armenia, accounting for 77% of all such cases recorded during the year.

French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated support for the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process in a phone call with President Ilham Aliyev.

“I spoke with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev,” Macron said on X. “I reminded him of France’s support for the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the importance of its further advancement. We also discussed regional issues and the prospects for the development of our bilateral relations.”

Aliyev also commented on the phone call, saying: “Today, I received a phone call from President Emmanuel Macron. During the phone conversation, we reviewed issues on the agenda of Azerbaijan–France bilateral relations and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. We also discussed regional and global developments.”

On May 4, during a press briefing in Yerevan, the President of France said that he would raise the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan with President Ilham Aliyev. Currently, 19 Armenian prisoners continue to be held unlawfully in Azerbaijan, including representatives of the former leadership of Karabakh. They have been sentenced to imprisonment on fabricated charges.